University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
critic: James Michael TATE.

suckerPUNCH: Describe your project.

Hang Hyun CHO: Architecture and art have always been closely related. However, pop culture, has rarely linked itself to architecture.

The design of a Presidential Library for George Washington was an opportunity to propose such linkage.

Significantly, George Washington chose to not become a king, a decision that perhaps made it possible for Pop culture to emerge in United States. (Washington was also used as subject in many Pop artworks, for his charm and coolness.) Pop and Democracy are genuinely American concepts. . . .

The typology of Washington, D.C. corporations and government buildings have torus-shaped offices. They are centers of democracy, yet they impose fortresslike characteristics. Doughnuts came to mind when I was looking at the satellite view of Washington, D.C.; I thought it would be “cool” to create Washington, D.C. in doughnuts because doughnuts are soft, fun, jelly, delicious, sweet . . . and Pop.
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